God has a Sovereign will (His predetermined plan for the ages) and a Moral will (His principles for living laid down in the Scriptures). He also has a Personal will for each of His children
God’s Sovereign will
• “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
• “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:27-28)
• “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:14-15)
What do these verses have in common? They all talk about the will of God that is hidden and that is bound to happen. God’s sovereign will is God’s secret plan that determines everything that happens in the universe (Daniel 4:35; Proverbs 16:33; 19:21; 21:1; Revelation 4:11; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 9:19; 11:33-36; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; James 4:14-15). Read a good history book and you’re reading God’s Sovereign will for the past.
In general, God’s Sovereign will is secret. We do not know His plans for tomorrow or the day after that. But there are two exceptions to the secrecy of God’s Sovereign will. One of them is prophecy (Amos 3:7). For example, God told us that Jesus is coming back (Matthew 24:30) and that there will be wars until then (Matthew 24:6-7). The other exception is God’s plan for salvation. We know that through faith in Jesus, we are forgiven and will spend eternity in His heavenly kingdom and presence.
You can see His sovereign will at work throughout the Bible. Despite people’s bad choices, God was never stopped and ultimately brought redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Human’s bad choices did not obstruct God’s perfect plan. The people of Israel were chosen to be a holy nation and an image of whom God is, to the rest of the nations. But they made many wrong decisions. Just read the Old Testament. God stayed faithful to an unfaithful nation and did not let their terrible choices stand in the way of His Sovereign will.
One other example is the life of Joseph. Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers, was harassed by his master’s wife and thrown into prison.
Read the story of Joseph in Genesis 30-50.
